


Imitation

by Alasse_Irena



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 23:35:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11519868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alasse_Irena/pseuds/Alasse_Irena
Summary: Missy considers the Doctor's new body. She thinks she might like it.





	Imitation

**Author's Note:**

> I read the announcement, and I couldn't help wanting to write...something, at least. I'm still not sure how to deal with the Doctor's pronouns, but anyway, here we are.

Gallifreyan gendered pronouns are a complicated business, in the same way that Gallifreyan  _ anything _ is a complicated business. One register for talking to a stranger, another for talking to a strange incarnation of an old acquaintance, yet another for talking to an old friend.  _ Enemy _ is the merest inflection away from  _ friend _ , an alternate universe captured in a single-syllable suffix.

The Doctor hasn’t been to Gallifrey in  _ years _ , though. Possibly not in this timestream; Missy has never been the best at keeping track of these things. Missy honestly suspects that the Doctor has by now lost track of the subtleties of the language . She supposes it’s fortunate that she is talking  _ to _ the Doctor, and not  _ about _ the Doctor. Both of them are very good at the vocabulary of condescension. 

“This is different.” Missy looks at the Doctor critically, sliding her eyes over the new body, and watching pale cheeks bloom pink in her wake. It  _ is _ different, and in more ways than one. There’s a freshness to this new creature, a kind of clarity. Missy is reminded a little of a certain earlier incarnation, who had got all bright-eyed and enthusiastic about  _ humans _ , their curiosity, their resilience, their determined insistence on creating interplanetary diplomatic issues out of things which seemed less-than-trivial.

The Doctor’s chin lifts, proud, defensive, maybe. Missy is still getting a handle on the personality of this new version. Their gazes are level, now, evenly matched; the Doctor’s new eyes are - hazel, Missy thinks. That’s probably the word for it. The Doctor is a little taller than she is still, but Missy doesn’t have to tilt her head back to make use of the full power of her glare.

“Copycat.” She makes a reprimanding pout.

The Doctor looks down, and blushes even redder. Missy wonders whether the parallel was a conscious choice.

“Oh, shut up."

Missy is sort of gratified to hear that even if the pitch has shifted, and the accent softened, some of the intonation remains familiar. Digging parts of old Doctors out of new ones has always been a favourite hobby of hers.

She can’t help smiling. “Do you know,” she says, “your beloved apes have a proverb for this.”

“Oh?” The Doctor’s eyebrows go up. There’s a kind of dignity in this new Doctor. Missy appreciates it. She looks forward to ruining it.

“You must have heard it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”


End file.
